Bumper Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Are you looking for something to do in the garden this weekend?
Well here's a few suggestions that should keep you busy ...

1. Tomatoes  - If like me you are growing tomatoes make sure that you keep removing the side shoots produced on the Cordon varieties. Simply snap them off first thing in the morning to make sure the plant focuses all it's energy elsewhere. Your tomatoes should also be starting to set fruit so it's time to give them a weekly feed with either diluted tomato feed or liquid seaweed.

2. Roses - The weather has been rather variable over the past weeks and rain battered Roses are a frequent sight in my garden! Keep up with the deadheading and if you see any rose buds that haven't opened yet with brown outer petals, gently tease away them away in a downwards movement and your rose might just get the chance to bloom! If left more often than not the decaying brown petals prevent the bud from opening.

A Rose in the centre ready for dead-heading

3. Sweet Peas - Another plant that could do with a little care is the garden favourite Sweet Pea. 

Give them a weekly feed and keep up with tying them in to the their supports. Pick flowers every few days and make sure you remove any seed pods once seen to prolong flowering. 

Summer Bedding in Pots and Hanging Baskets will also benefit from a liquid feed once a week to keep encouraging blooms and healthy growth.

4. Winter Cabbages - If you sowed some winter cabbages last month such as January King into pots it's time to plant them out into their final positions. If like me you sowed them under cover gently acclimatise them to the outdoor positions by hardening them off over 7 - 10 days. Once this has been done plant them out with a distance of approx 50cm in a sunny position and provide protection from birds in the form of netting or fleece. You can also place a collar around the stems to protect from cabbage root fly.

5. Bulbs - It's time to start planting Autumn bulbs such as Nerines into Pots & Borders and whilst your doing so why not start thinking about the Spring Bulbs that you would like to have next year. Plant companies are starting to send out catalogues so if you know what you want it's best to order them now before they're out of stock! The same goes for Spring Bedding.

6. Watering - Even if it rains make sure you keep up with watering, some plants such as Celery, Beans, Peas, Tomatoes can be extremely thirsty and will suffer if they do not get adequate water.
Newly planted Shrubs, Tree's and Perennials this year will also benefit from extra watering to help them become established.

7. Apples & Pears - If the weather is warm and not too wet you can prune out any branches on Apple & Pear Tree's that may be crossing, damaged or diseased. 

You can also thin out the apples on trees that may be malformed or damaged to encourage a healthier crop.

8. Cuttings - Plants such as Fuschias, Pelargoniums and other tender perennials can be tricky to over winter if you only have a small space. Why not take some cuttings now from your favourite plants? This way you only have to over winter a smaller plant reducing the amount of space needed. 

Even if over wintering isn't something that you've considered cuttings are great for if you simply want more of a particular plant for free! Simply click HERE for a variety of posts on Cuttings.

9. Hedges -If you have any Hedges or Confiers that are needing a trim then now is the time to do it, however always make sure that there are no nesting birds before starting.

10. Ponds - Finally if you have a garden pond keep on top of removing any blanketweed or algea. Make sure that you leave it on the edge of the pond for atleast 48hours afterwards so that any creatures within can make their way back into the pond or water feature.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
It seems this weekend the weather has changed to be a little milder compared to the start of the week! We were in low single figures early on but looking at the forecast we're set to reach double figures over the next few days, the weather can't seem to make it's mind up.
Here's a few things that you can be getting on with over the coming week ...

1. Sedums - Throughout winter I left the stems of my Sedum plants to provide some structure and also allow somewhere for over-wintering insects. However the flower stems are looking a little tired and the new growth has started forming at the base so it was time for me to cut them down to ground level. Other plants that can be cut down now are Willows and Dogwoods to promote strong new canes.

2. Hardwood Cuttings - If you have been planning to take some Hardwood Cuttings then now is the time to get this done. You can take Hardwood Cuttings from Shrubs, Tree's and Roses but the window to do this is closing in a few weeks.

3. Hellebores  - If you love Hellebores as much as I do it's always a good idea to remove any foliage showing signs of Black Spot which helps prevent the disease taking over. It also allows more light to the emerging flower buds! If you haven't removed them already then try to get it done asap.

4. Snowdrops - If you are in a milder area of the UK and your Snowdrops are already flowering, this is the ideal time to start thinking about dividing them if the clumps are congested. Snowdrops are best divided and planted when they are 'in the green', simply dig them up when they coming to the end of flowering, split them up into smaller clumps and re-plant.

5. Sowing - Salad crops can be sown now undercover to provide you with some early lettuce and salad leaves. 

6. Apple & Pear Tree's - If your Apple & Pear Tree's have congested, badly placed, damaged or diseased branches now is your chance to prune them out. 

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here are a few things you can be getting on with over the next week in your garden.

1. Apple Trees - If you are growing Apple Trees and they need a bit of a tidy up, winter is the ideal time to give them a prune. You can also prune any Autumn fruiting Raspberries to soil level now too.

2. Tools - With the gloomy weather not everyone wants to go outside, if that sounds like you then now is a good time to clean and sharpen any gardening tools.

3. Perennials  - If you don't like the look of dead flower stems over winter cut down any faded stems now and clear away. Whilst doing this keep an eye out for any pests hiding under fallen leaves.

4. Botrytis - Just like I suggested last week, keep checking for any signs of grey mould and act straight away. Remember to water sparingly too which will help prevent this spreading.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
It's time again for my Weekly Garden Checklist, let's get started!

1.Poppies- Once Poppies have finished flowering, if you don't like how they look and would rather not have the seed spread around the garden, then you can cut them back to the ground. This will encourage fresh foliage so that you will still have ground cover. However I like to keep the seed heads intact as it's adds some interest to my garden.

2. Delphiniums - Along with Poppies you can also dead head Delphiniums and Foxgloves once they have finished flowering. For example with the white Delphinium below the middle spike will finish fist, so I will cut that out to allow the plant to focus it's energy on the two smaller spikes either side. Once these are over I will cut the who plant back down to the ground, this will encourage another flush of flowers later in the year.

3. Acid Loving Plants- Plants such as Rhodoendrons, Azaleas and Camelia's would benefit from a feed and a good soak right now, specially with all this warm weather we've been having. All I do is mix some Liquid Feed specially for these plants in a watering can with Rainwater, then give the plants a water. 

4. Apples- If you have Apple Trees, Pears or Plums and they are starting to set fruit then it's a good idea to decrease the number of fruit in each crop to two or three to increase the size and quality of the fruit. Unfortunately my Apple Trees did not flower & fruit this year but this can happen if they are only young plants. 

5. Baskets & Pots - Lastly don't forget to keep up with the Weekly feeds for Hanging Baskets and Pots. A solution of Liquid Seaweed or Tomato Feed encourages more blooms and tops up the soil with nutrients which can be lost when watering.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

A Few Changes ...

Good Morning!

Today's post is a little update on how things are looking and have changed around the garden. As you remember we saw our first Sweet Pea of 2014 last week and this week we were greeted by another in this beautiful painted petal design!

The Hanging Baskets that I planted up a few weeks ago are filling out and were hung out last week. Some are further on than others and here's a look at three of them.

I only bought one of these Surfinia 'Melissa' but I took cuttings from it and used the plants they produced in two other baskets. I also took another cutting this week which I am planning on using in a pot, I love the fresh pale green of the petals.

I sowed some Diascia seeds which were free with a magazine a month or so ago and after finding this teeny pot when sorting through my pots yesterday I planted it up with one of the seedlings.

The Orange Tree has come out of the conservatory for the Summer and has taken up residence is the most sheltered part on my patio I could find alongside another wigwam of Sweet Pea's.

The pot's of shrubs on the patio steps are coming along nicely and provide some all year round interest.

The 'Tickled Pink' Apple Tree has some baby apples emerging.

Finally I gave the shady spot between our conservatory and next doors a bit of a re-jig. There's an annoying gap between the fence and window that you can't really do anything with,  I blocked it off with some staging on an angle, filled it with some pots and then placed my Acer and Azalea in-front of it along with some more planted pots of bedding.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

What's Looking Good This Week ...

Good Morning!

Today's post is another chance to share a few random photo's of what is looking good around the garden right now. First up is this Lewisia and although I have a few smaller plants of this I couldn't resist buying a larger version a few weeks ago and boy does this variety catch your eye! Considering all the grey and gloomy weather we've had the past week it's perfect for brightening up a container display!

The blossom on my other Apple Tree 'Cox's Orange Pippin' has finally made an appearance and is a lovely pale contrast to the deep pink flowers on my other apple tree.

I have a few Geum plants around my borders and in the past week they have all started blooming in this wonderful vibrant red colour!

One of my potted Primulas has flowered and I love how dainty it looks.

In my conservatory I saved the Amaryllis bulb that I had at Christmas and to my surprise it has developed another flower head this past week!

I also couldn't resist bringing this Geranium home recently as I love the salmon orange petals it produces as they are in such a soft shade.

Lastly over the weekend in between the thunderstorms and rain I managed to plant out some Poppy seedlings that I grew from seed in the GH and had hardened off in the garden for the past week. They are called 'Plum Pudding' and fingers crossed they will look lovely if they are successful!

TIP : Use Copper Rings to prevent slugs attacking fresh seedlings when they are newly planted in the ground.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

What's Looking Good Right Now ...

Good Morning!

Today's post is a few photo's of some parts of my garden that I'm enjoying right now. The weather has warmed up a little bit (fingers crossed it stays that way) and everything seems to stepping into gear a bit more now! So without further ado here's a few snaps of what is looking good right now around the garden.

Over the past few months Viola's have become one of my favourite flowers, how can you resist their smiley faces? These lovelies are currently sat waiting to be used in a display.

My potted Azalea is flowering brightly and it's wonderful to see such a pop of colour at this time of year!

Now I know the next plant isn't to everybody's liking, and I have to admit the plain yellow version doesn't feature high in my list of favourites. However I love all the various tones in the following picture and I'l definitely be hoping that I get some more like this next year ...

The Apple Tree's are going from strength to strength and are now not only showing some leaves but some buds of blossom too!

The Lewisia I bought a couple of weeks ago is flowering and I love the peachy tones.

On a final note the last thing I have to share with you is my Roses! When I first started this blog I shared some photo's of when I potted them up bareroot. They are now developing their leaves and looking rather healthy! Only problem is I don't know what varieties they are as they all got mixed up at work before I brought them home! I shall have to dig out the original list of varieties and try to match them once they bloom lol

FINAL NOTE - In regards to the other 2 Dahlia Tubers not shooting yet, they finally have :)

Thanks for stopping by, 

HAPPY GROWING!
XXX

Catching Up ...

Good Morning!

In my Greenhouse the Tomatoes have certainly put on a lot of healthy growth, 2 of which in particular! I have a selection of varieties growing this year but the 'Sungold' seem to have shot ahead of the others. They're actually large enough to pot up into their final pots (although I don't have the space for this yet lol) but I managed to fit them in, just! I always use large plastic pots for my Tomatoes but there are a variety of other ways to grow them.

TIP - When planting tomatoes make sure you bury the plant right up to it's first set of leaves.

Over the past weekend I also finally managed to put something into my raised bed. Although there's not much in there atm there is more stuff to go in, but it's just not ready yet. So far there are some Spring Onions, Lettuce and a row of Radish seeds.

In the Garden I noticed that finally my Astrantia's are starting to show through the ground, I had to share as I was starting to give up hope on seeing these again seeing they were taking so long!

Both of my new Apple Tree's are coming into leaf ...

'Tickled Pink'

'Cox's Orange Pippin'

Remember those Grass plant plugs I shared a few weeks ago? Well they were ready to put up into some larger pots and are starting to put on some healthy growth, I think the 'Carex - Frosted Curls' (first on the left) is my favourite of the four so far. I shall have to get a better photograph of them each sometime for you all as this one doesn't do them justice!

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY CRAFTING!
XXX